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brought under his authority La Charité-sur-Loire, in A.D. 1422. which he placed a large garrison of his followers. Then he besieged the town of Cosne-sur-Loire, which was in the end obliged to treat with the commissioners of the Dauphin on condition that they would surrender the town to him on the seventeenth day of the ensuing month of August, in case that before that day the Duke of Burgundy did not help them so powerfully as to deliver them from the hands of these their enemies. For keeping this the besieged gave hostages to the said besiegers; and it was at this time arranged that the two dukes, to wit, those of Touraine and Burgundy, promised by the mouths of their heralds to be and to appear on the said day each with his army to fight with each other. In order to keep this day the Duke of Burgundy, who had previously arranged to return into his country of Artois, remained in Burgundy, and summoned men from all parts as well of Flanders, as of Picardy, and other places to resort to him; also he sent to the King of England, begging him very pressingly to send him a certain number of his people to be with him on the said day, and also some of his princes or chiefs of war. Then the king, who greatly desired to please the Duke of Burgundy, replied to those who were sent to him that he would not do this, but would go in his own person, with his whole force.

Meanwhile, Sir Hugh de Lannoy, master of the crossbowmen of France, collected a great number of people, as well from the county of Flanders as from the castlellany of Lille; and likewise did Sir John of Luxembourg, the Lord of Croy, and other captains in the marches of Artois and Picardy, with whom, towards the end of July, they proceeded by various roads round Paris, and thence towards Troyes in Champagne.

On the other hand the King of England, who was then at Senlis, and personally not in very good health,

A.D. 1422. sent his army from round Paris under the command of his brother the Duke of Bedford, the Earl of Warwick, and other princes and captains, to go into Burgundy, and himself suffering a good deal from illness, set out from the said place of Senlis, after taking leave of the King of France and the two queens, namely, his mother-in-law and his wife, whom he never saw more. He went to Melun, where he got himself placed on a litter to go with his people to the meeting, of which mention has been made. But forasmuch as he felt himself too weak he returned and had himself carried to the wood of Vincennes, where he took to bed entirely.

The Duke of Bedford with the other princes and the whole army proceeded by several journeys to the country of Burgundy; so did the lords of Picardy, Flanders, and other places, who made such progress that all arrived at the town of Vezelay, where they found Duke Philip, who was waiting for them with a great number of men-at-arms whom he had collected from various places. So he received and feasted them very joyfully; and especially when he found the Duke of Bedford and the other princes of England, he thanked them most humbly for the noble and powerful aid which they had brought him at his need.

When all the princes and captains were joined together, as you have heard, they began to ride with their men, who were very numerous, towards the town of Cosne. They had by order arranged a vanguard main body, and rear guard; and each division included a certain number of English, Picards, Flemings, and Burgundians. This was done that when it came to the appointed day there might be no envying, and that none of the parties or nations should have more honour or dishonour than another; and thus keeping this order they rode by several days' journey to the place of Cosne, before which they slept during the night on the morrow of which they were to be en

But A.D. 1422.

countered according to the aforesaid promises.
the Duke of Touraine, called the Dauphin, and those
by whom he was influenced, knowing the strength of
the princes above-named, withdrew with all his warriors
to Bourges in Berry, and put in no appearace on the
appointed day, wherefore this town of Cosne remained
of right subject to the Duke of Burgundy.

After having thus spent this day without doing anything, the whole host began to return towards Troyes in Champagne. During this journey, however, there were many English, Flemings, and Picards in great want of victuals, and especially of bread; but as soon as they began to get near the town of Troyes they roamed at large over the flat country, which by their going and returning was greatly harassed wherever they passed.

On their return on the road there came to the Duke of Bedford certain tidings that his brother the King of England was grievously oppressed with his malady, and in great danger of his life. Because of this, he immediately with some of his most trusty men, rode off privately in all haste to the wood of Vincennes, where he found him suffering much from illness. And the Duke of Burgundy sent thither Sir Hugh de Lannoy to visit him and inquire into his condition.

Here it makes mention of the death of Henry King of England. CHAPTER XXIX.

THE King of England, feeling that he was worn out by his illness, called round his bed his brother the Duke of Bedford, his uncle the Duke of Exeter

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A.D. 1422.

grand master of his household, the Earl of Warwick, Sir Louis de Robersart, and some others to the number of seven or eight of those he trusted most among all his intimates; and these he told sadly enough that it was the pleasure of God his Creator he should close his life and leave this present world. Then he said to the Duke of Bedford: "John, fair brother, I beseech you by all the loyalty and love you have ever shown towards me, that you will always be kind and faithful to the fair child

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Henry, your nephew; and I charge you that you "fail not that so long as you live you will not, "whatever may happen, suffer any treaty to be made "with our adversary Charles de Valois, by which the Duchy of Normandy shall not remain freely in possession of the said fair child; and in case our "brother-in-law Burgundy shall be willing to under"take the government of the kingdom of France, "I advise you to give it to him, but in case he "refuses it, take it yourself. And as for you, fair "uncle of Exeter, I leave to you alone entirely the government of the Kingdom of England; for I am "certain you know well how to rule it; and I beg "that from the hour you reach England you will

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never return more to France for any affair what"ever that may turn up. Besides, I appoint you to "be in all things the governor of the fair child Henry your nephew; and request that as you love me you will visit him often in person. And you, fair cousin, "I wish that you be his tutor, and remain quietly "with him to educate him in what belongs to his position, for I know not how better to provide for him. And again I pray you all as much as I can, " and that you fail not in disobeying this, that you "will have no quarrel with our brother-in-law Burgundy, and this I forbid expressly to my fair brother Humphrey for if it happened, which God forbid !

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"that there should be any bad feeling between you A.D. 1422. "and him, the affairs of this kingdom, which are

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prospering for our party, might be greatly damaged "thereby. Also beware of freeing from prison our "fair cousin of Orleans, the Count of Eu, the Lord "of Gaucourt, or Guichard de Sissay, till the fair "child Henry be of competent age; but as for all the "others, do as it seems good to you." After these words, and some others much the same, the aforesaid lords replied most humbly, each one one for himself, having great sadness at heart, that they would fulfil to the utmost of their power all that he ordered them, and that they knew to be his pleasure, without contravening it in anywise; and that they were all very sorry to see him in so poor a state of health.

Soon afterwards, some of these left the chamber, and Sir Hugh de Lannoy, who had been sent to Henry by the Duke of Burgundy, after he had fulfilled his mission and had some speech with the king, went away to make his report.

Then the said king called his physicians before him, and very pressingly requested them to tell him their opinion, according to what they could see, as to how long he might still have to live. At which request they delayed a while telling him the truth, even if they could give him no hope, saying it was still in the power of God to restore him to health. But he was not pleased with this, and anew requested as we have said, that they would speak the truth about his inquiry. Upon this they consulted together, and then he was answered by one who humbly knelt down before the king's bed: "Sire, think upon your case, "for it seems to us that except by the favour of God, "it is hardly possible that you live more than two "hours." Then the king summoned his confessor, and some other ecclesiastics of his household, whom he ordered to recite the seven [penitential] psalms; and

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